Pass rate
72.2%
Below average — 1.8 pts behind the 74.0% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 18,717 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £26–£69
2009 Kia Rio MOT pass rate
- 2009
- 2 trims combined
- typical 81,277 mi
Most common fault
Suspension
26.1% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2023 96.3% pass
- Avoid 2002 67.7% pass
Across the 23 years on record, a spread of 28.6 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 63.0%
- Typical mileage
- 81k mi
The 2009 Kia Rio MOT pass rate is 72.2% of its MOT tests — 1.8 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 26.1% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Kia Rio does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Steering: 3.5× the national share
Steering accounts for 9.1% of everything recorded on the 2009 Kia Rio, against 2.6% nationally — 6.5 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 26.1%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Ask for the steering to be checked for play with the wheels on the ground, not on a jack.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Kia Rio? Get an email when these numbers change .
Every Kia Rio first registered in 2009 is combined here — 2 trim and body variants in total — so the sample is as large as the DVSA data allows.
How does the 2009 Kia Rio compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 74.0%, so this figure is 1.8 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 63.0%. The median 2009 Kia Rio in this dataset had covered 81,277 mi.
The most common fuel recorded here is Petrol — 75% of tests, with a 72.7% pass rate. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 71.2% of the time, April–September 73.2%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play", noted on 8.84% of tests.
- 18,717 recorded tests behind this page.
- 72.2% overall pass rate, 63.0% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Kia Rio, the average is 79.8% — best year 2023 (96.3%), worst 2002 (67.7%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 18,717
- Typical mileage (median)
- 81,277 mi
- Make and model
- Kia Rio
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Ball Joint
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the Rio MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 59% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Petrol is the most common here (75% of tests).
Regional pass rates for the Rio
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 4,152 | 74.2% |
| South West | 2,547 | 69.0% |
| East of England | 2,061 | 73.8% |
| North West | 2,012 | 72.1% |
| Yorkshire | 1,836 | 70.7% |
| West Midlands | 1,773 | 74.2% |
| East Midlands | 1,477 | 72.6% |
| Wales | 1,047 | 68.8% |
| Scotland | 843 | 66.4% |
| London | 541 | 82.4% |
| North East | 428 | 66.4% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2009 Rio
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2009 Rio
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the suspension joints 8.8% of tests
“track rod end ball joint has excessive play”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
-
Check the lights 8.0% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
Check the wipers and washers 2.8% of tests
“wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2009 Rio through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £26–£69 — and 44% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £26–£69
- Cheapest common item: registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the…
- £5–£20
- Dearest common item: joints constant velocity boot severely…
- £80–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 44%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 18,717 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the Rio, side by side
23 model years on record, from 2001 to 2023. Across them the pass rate runs from 67.7% to 96.3% — a spread of 28.6 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2001 73.2% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2002 67.7% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2003 68.8% headlamp lens slightly defective
- 2004 68.2% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2005 68.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2006 70.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 70.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2008 69.9% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 72.2%track rod end ball joint has…
- 2010 72.3% track rod end ball joint has…
- 2011 72.2% track rod end ball joint has…
- 2012 74.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2013 75.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2014 78.4% track rod end ball joint dust…
- 2015 83.6% tread depth below requirements of…
- 2016 85.1% tread depth below requirements of…
- 2017 87.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 89.7% wipers does not clear the…
- 2019 90.3% wipers does not clear the…
- 2020 92.0% wipers does not clear the…
- 2021 92.7% wipers blade defective
- 2022 93.8% has a cut in excess of the…
- 2023 96.3% headlamp aim too low
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2009 Kia Rio with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2009 cars with a similar record
- Vauxhall Astra 72.2%
- Toyota Hilux 72.2%
- SEAT Altea 72.2%
- Skoda Roomster 72.2%
- Ford Fiesta 72.3%
- Hyundai I30 72.3%
Closest pass rates among 2009 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2009 Kia Rio 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 53,493 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 14,046 | 26.10% | 20.98% | +5.12 |
| Brakes | 9,038 | 16.80% | 20.89% | −4.09 |
| Tyres | 7,851 | 14.60% | 19.76% | −5.16 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6,649 | 12.40% | 12.21% | +0.19 |
| Steering | 4,916 | 9.10% | 2.57% | +6.53 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 3,753 | 7.00% | 5.57% | +1.43 |
| Visibility | 2,697 | 5.00% | 4.97% | +0.03 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1,899 | 3.50% | 5.52% | −2.02 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1,546 | 2.90% | 1.76% | +1.14 |
| Non-component advisories | 1,098 | 2.00% | 4.18% | −2.18 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track rod end ball joint has excessive play Steering | Major | 8.8% | £18–45 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 8.0% | £5–20 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 4.2% | £5–25 |
| Ball joint excessively worn Suspension | Major | 3.8% | £18–45 |
| Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | Major | 2.8% | £8–22 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 2.4% | £80–200 |
| Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 2.4% | £60–140 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Major | 2.2% | £80–180 |
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 2.2% | £80–250 |
| Wipers blade defective Visibility | Minor | 2.1% | £8–22 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 18.9% | £45–95 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 16.5% | £40–150 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 14.1% | £45–95 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 12.6% | £180–450 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 12.0% | £80–180 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 9.6% | £45–110 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 818 | 83.7% | 22,502 mi |
| 30-60k | 4,051 | 77.4% | 47,172 mi |
| 60-90k | 6,302 | 71.6% | 75,042 mi |
| 90-120k | 4,777 | 69.5% | 103,303 mi |
| 120k+ | 2,751 | 67.1% | 142,614 mi |
Source: 18,717 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2009 Rio MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2009 Kia Rio?
72.2% of the 18,717 2009 Kia Rio tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 74.0% for cars first used in 2009. First-attempt pass rate: 63.0%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2009 Kia Rio?
The three most recorded items are track rod end ball joint has excessive play (8.84%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (7.99%), position lamp not working (4.18%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2009 Kia Rio MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 83.7% of the time, falling to 67.1% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2009 Kia Rio in this dataset had covered 81,277 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2009 Kia Rio?
Petrol: 72.7% pass rate across 14,016 tests. Diesel: 70.7% pass rate across 4,697 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2009 Kia Rio MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 71.2% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 73.2%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.